Archive for the ‘Tiling’ Category
Tiling Can Take You In A New Direction
For many of you who are reading this, the likelihood is that you may be considering a change of career or you are currently actively looking to start out in a new work direction. There may indeed, be those tradesmen who have been affected by industry cutbacks to work patterns, and learning another training skill can only add to your skillset.
All the current indications show that the UK is making a forward, albeit slow recovery from recession, and the latest trade growth figures are heading in the right direction. Many Government and private development schemes around the country have been recently announced, helping the Construction industry to move forward and should be seen as reassuring signs for future work prospects.
One of the easiest and quickest ways of entering the construction industry is to train to be a professional tiler. And of course, it makes sense when it forms part of being a builder, painter and decorator. A City & Guilds NVQ Tiling qualification is relatively straightforward if you have previous hands-on experience in other types practical problem-solving work.
The three week NVQ fulltime courses are strongly recommended for obtaining a complete understanding and practical skillset for most of tiling jobs required in both domestic and commercial applications. This will invariably cover such basic skills as correct spacing, lining up the patterning or working neatly over or around a corner, step, or column, applying a screed and surface preparation before beginning the tiling itself.
At a professional skills centre, courses are built to suit all types of time schedule requirements and there’s opportunity to learn on two consecutive weekend tiling training sessions comprising an entire course of weekdays.
The good news is that these days, tiling does not mean fixing endless walls with standard plain white ceramics! The seemingly infinite varieties of patterned tiles, finishes and sizes now available on the market guarantees a different task every day.
Specialist tile courses can be taken to learn how to work with the natural products like Granite, Marble, Limestone and Slate, which have become increasingly popular as they have become more affordable.
Female Plumbers Urgently Needed!
Even though, a major trade skills training centre will always see a regular small number of female students who wish to enrol on courses to train to be a plumber or learn tiling, it has been estimated that six per cent of people are unaware that female plumbers even exist!
This is all the more remarkable, as a new study has found that 57 per cent of respondents polled claimed they wanted to see more women in the plumbing industry, showing quite clearly there is an obvious demand for more female plumbers!
Back in 2001, an Equal Opportunities Commission report stated there were only 17 registered female plumbers! The figures seemed to confirm the opinion of the Commission that women had traditionally been directed into gender–oriented careers such as childcare, and were less aware or encouraged to look at alternative opportunities.
Plumbing, in common with other construction trade skills had always been looked upon as a traditionally male-dominated industry – 9 per cent polled said ‘plumbing was a man’s job’ - although in recent years, attitudes have changed and many people believe qualified female plumbers are just as capable of doing the job as their male counterparts. Many local authorities across the UK are now trying to attract more women into the trades, including plumbing.
Another finding from the recent study revealed that 12 per cent of respondents said they would feel safer and more at ease hiring a female plumber to do the job, especially, of course, the elderly and vulnerable. It is an unfortunate fact, that because elderly people have been taken advantage of by men in the workplace, they in particular, would appreciate more female representation within the industry.
In today’s uncertain employment climate, gender roles with regards work abilities and opportunities are going to become less important. Career changes for both men and women needing income in new work areas are likely only to increase. Trained and qualified personnel in trade skills are always in demand, especially in the residential sector and unlikely to change, no matter any fluctuations in the marketplace.
The City & Guilds NVQ Plumbing 6129 level 2 course is open to all interested to learn to become a plumber, regardless of previous experience and abilities. Many flexible options are always available to cater for differing schedules, which means the ability to learn Plumbing Theory at Home or train on weekend plumbing courses. Once achieving the first step, a student is able to proceed onto the next required training level and develop knowledge and skills which will provide a secure springboard to launch a rewarding new career, whether you’re male or female!
Diamond Tip For Precision Tiling
You can always tell the difference between an experienced, professional tiler’s finish and the DIY enthusiast. It’s invariably a case of ‘nearly but not quite’! There is no substitute for possessing real insider knowledge, trained skills, and investment in quality tools.
How many times have we seen workmanship which leaves much to be desired? From a clear bodged job to a solution to a problem which may just be OK but doesn’t quite look right! Even an apparently simple action like drilling a hole is complex and you need to know every detail from nature of the material, type of drill required, speed, torque, testing, pilot holes, etc, Not to mention, resisting the temptation to buy cheap, substandard drills – and how to recognise them!
When it come to drilling holes in Porcelain tiles, the exceptionally hard and resistant material has proven to be a challenge for many a tiler. One standard way to deal with the problem was to use a TCT tipped cutter or elaborate water feed systems, but was an expensive solution.
New types of electroplated mini diamond core drill are now available, which are specifically designed to be used on porcelain. With drills ranging between 6 to 40mm, for cordless and corded drills alike, and a professional vacuum suction drill guide to help prevent skidding, they are compatible with a variety of applications, and demand amongst plumbers and tilers is especially high. The cutting edge should be kept wet at all times to optimise the durability of the diamond rim.
Recently, a mini diamond porcelain tile drill set, which features a 115mm continuous rim turbo tile blade was introduced to the market place. The body of these drills has waste slots which enable efficient plumbing spoil and slug removal.
Obtaining a complete understanding and practical skillset for just about all the tiling jobs required in both domestic and commercial applications, a three week NVQ Tiling fulltime course is a worthwhile investment. Knowledge learning covers key basic skills as correct spacing, lining up the patterning or working neatly over or around a corner, step, or column, applying a screed and surface preparation before beginning the tiling itself. If weekday training is a problem, then weekend tiling courses are always available, which offer a great opportunity to learn all the course modules.
In today’s uncertain times, one thing is always certain, a trained and qualified tradesman who offers a high standard of quality work is always in demand, whether renovating a current dwelling or installing for a new property.
Construction Industry Upward Trend Gives Optimism To Trade Skills Training
A landmark occasion was highlighted in the news this week as the 2012 Olympics reached the July 27th planned opening date, now exactly just two years away.
The construction industry in London continues to benefit from preparations for the 2012 Olympics. The £303 million Aquatics Centre and the £80 million Velopark are among the key stadium building projects to have started on site over the last year, while work has also commenced on the Olympic Village.
Recent trends within the construction industry as a whole, seem to show a continuing, if cautious improvement in the recovery from recession. Various news reports for the last quarterly show that renewal of work on building projects, temporarily halted in the last two years, have helped with improving work prospects across the industry trades.
This is encouraging news, especially for those currently in Electrical NVQ 2330 training or on a Plumbing 6129 level 2 course. The slowly returning confidence spells optimistic prospects for the many men and women thinking of entering the industry by enrolling on a training course at an approved skills learning centre.
Individuals searching for a new career and are thinking to train as a bricklayer or learn tiling, the prospects for employment in the private residential housing market have started to pick up during the second half of 2009, cutting the decline for the year to just 11%.
During the first five months of 2010, the sector continued its recovery, growing by almost 50% compared to the same period of 2009. Examples of residential housing projects set to begin early in 2011 around the capital, include a £9 million, 2 year construction of 157 flats and 2 Commercial Units at Bow Common Lane, East London and a £137 million regeneration scheme in the Borough of Brent to develop 1, 800 units across South Kilburn.
Electricians, plumbers, tilers, bricklayers and plasterers possessing formal City & Guilds NVQ qualifications could be elegible to participate in any number of identical projects mushroomimg around London and the South East, according to experience, employment and apprenticeship status.
Training Takes The Toiling Out Of Tiling!
Practically very DIY enthusiast has attempted a little tiling project, whether it was installing a few rows above a toilet or bathroom sink to act as a splashback or replacing the odd cracked item or even a whole line around the bath. However it is a different proposition to installing a bathroom or fitting a kitchen and/or laying a tiled floor.
The first task is to remove all the old tiling and correctly and thoroughly prepare the undersurface - you may have to apply a screed! Then there’s the all-important accurate working out of the correct spacing, lining up of the patterning and knowing how to work neatly over or around a corner, step, or column.
The amount of pre-preparation work necessary will very much depend upon the existing finish …
Brickwork - will require rendering the wall to be given a smooth finish and allow to thoroughly dry out.
Wallpaper - will need to be removed back to a solid surface, which is then washed down to remove any surface grease and dust etc.
Gloss and semi-gloss - flaking paint will have to be removed and rubbed down using wet medium grade wet-and-dry abrasive paper to take off the gloss and to provide a key for the tile adhesive.
Emulsion - flaking paint has also to be washed down and any surface grease and dust removed.
Distemper/whitewash - removed completely from plaster or alternatively, after removing any flaking areas, the surface can be treated with a stabilising primer before fixing tiles.
Existing ceramic tiles - new tiles can be fixed on top of existing tiles providing that they are firmly attached to the wall.
Timber: painted/varnished - treat as for Paint.
Bare Timber - rub down to give a smooth finish for the tiles and apply a coat of wood paint primer.
Plasterboard - Tiles are heavy so should only be mounted on plasterboard at least 12.5mm (half inch) thick that is securely mounted.
Special waterproof plasterboard is available for tiling in ‘wet areas’ (around a shower), alternatively, if using standard plasterboard, plaster skim it to seal it before tiling.
In ‘non-wet areas’, seal the paper covering of the plasterboard with a coat of emulsion paint.
This all must be undertaken before even beginning to consider laying out the tiles! The good news is that there are good quality training courses where you can be shown exactly what you need to do in order to tile easily and properly. It really is recommended, especially if interested in working with expensive natural products like Granite, Marble, Limestone and Slate as specialist training is required in order to obtain the perfect finish.
If you are thinking of a career change or adding to your current trade skills or simply wish to take up tiling professionally, you will require to qualify on a City & Guilds NVQ tiling course in order to learn the necessary knowledge and skills to become a tiler. Most courses are flexible, are of a short duration and you can even learn on weekend courses, which is particularly useful if weekdays are a problem or if inbetween employment.
From Barbecues And Bathrooms To Building A New Career!
It’s barbecue season again – and currently, the hot weather is holding up long enough to be reason enough for getting in the charcoal briquettes. Of course, it can also mean a chance for the DIY handyman to have a go at building his own brick barbecue, which is great for using when family and friends are round for an impromptu outdoors get together.
But it’s also an opportunity to see just how good your practical skills are. For many right now, this could be a good project to get your teeth into if you’re thinking about an alternative means of work or career switching to train to become a bricklayer, or looking to enter the building industry, generally.
It helps if you do have some extensive DIY experience or have been handling building materials, a short bricklaying course would be ideal to get further involved with plenty of other course opportunities to do plastering, and tiling, at City and Guilds NVQ level.
Many men and women take a short trade skills course because they want to undertake their own home project, say tiling a bathroom, to save money and to see if they ‘can do it’. Most students are surprised just how quickly they pick the basics up, gain confidence in practical abilities they either didn’t know they had or were convinced they could not do!
They also discover that one skill so easily leads into another, especially as most jobs require you to do some additional plastering, plumbing or electrical work. The good news is you can take a bathroom installation course, which shows you all the different skills and knowledge you need to complete the task.
For those who are already considering a serious course of training in the construction trades, then you will already be aware that City & Guilds NVQ training is the first step to getting on the career ladder. Ableskills offers a wide range of accredited and approved courses to suit different requirements, especially if you can only train at certain times or periods in the week.
Remember - building your own barbecue, like all skills required in construction trade projects, requires planning before you start! The first move is to simply get in touch to speak to one of the training team! You will be able to find out what’s the best course of action to take and arrange to visit the training centre – they are always keen to help and you’ll be glad you made that first telephone call!
Traditional Trade Apprenticeships Scheme Launch
There has been a lot of talk recently, especially from ministers within the new coalition Government, that boosting traditional trade apprenticeship schemes would be a constructive part of revamping the educational system to help deal with the economic challenges ahead.
This would mean that those individuals who feel they are more suited to pursuing a career in the practical trades such as training to be an electrician or learning to become a plumber, for example, are given much more support and opportunity to gain valuable experience, than at present. It would also encourage skills training routes to apprenticeships to continue to be an attractive proposition for students who wish to enter the construction trades industry.
Just this month, The National Trust has launched a new scheme to recruit apprentices in traditional trades across the country, due to start in September. Competition for places will be tough as the starting wage for apprentices will be double the amount a usual apprentice is paid.
Thousands of heritage buildings across the UK are going to need regular maintenance and renovation in the coming years. Without the apprenticeship scheme in place, many of the country’s treasured historical buildings would fall into poor states of repair.
The initiative has been taken now as, once again, it is feared that there will be significant shortages in the trade skilled work force, which has long been the situation, particularly in the electrical sector. The average work force age is over 50, so many retirements are expected within the next few years and properly trained and qualified electricians, plumbers, tilers, plasterers and builders will be in demand.
The established training route is to undertake the City & Guilds NVQ level 2 certificate, for example, the Plumbing 6129 or Electrical 2330 at an accredited and approved training provider, which kickstarts knowledge learning to prove ability and aptitude before progressing onto higher training levels and related subject areas, such as Gas training or Heat Pumps.
After course completion and qualifying, building up valuable experience is obligatory and the more apprenticeship schemes which can be offered by employers, the better it will be for students to obtain a smoother transition from training to workplace.
Association Warranty Supports Qualified Tilers.
Frequent media exposure to the ever present dangers of ‘rogue traders’ has its obvious consequences. Householders are constantly wary of losing money or damage to property and become increasingly anxious about finding a reputable tradesman who will do a good job at a reasonable price. It is a main reason why they are encouraged to only use members of an industry trade association to help ensure a high standard of workmanship.
The Tile Association – for tiling trade members - provides assurance of quality products, excellent service and professional workmanship to the concerned consumer by assisting in their search for trained and qualified tilers of approved standard in their local area.
Their TTA insurance backed Warranty Scheme, especially for TTA Registered tilers working in the consumer sector, can give members a competitive advantage. It covers the tiling only for domestic contract work from £250- £5,000 for six years after full payment has been made for the tile installation.
The endeavour to uphold a ‘good name’ within the industry reflects on all trades and is dependent on all those who wish to make their career within the construction trades to adhere to following the obligatory skills training route to formal, recognised qualifications.
This means applying to an approved and accredited skills training centre, where industry experienced tuition is properly given in both theory and practical knowledge within fully equipped classrooms. The recognised ‘benchmark standard’ City & Guild NVQ courses are only allowed to be taught subject to full approval status, guaranteeing course credentials and maintained qualification standards.
At Able Skills, a number of high quality certificated tiling courses are available, including a complete City & Guilds NVQ Tiling Course and an opportunity to train on weekend tiling courses for those unable to commit to weekdays.
Ever increasing competition in today’s tough economic environment means that only the properly trained tradesman who has completed recognised qualifications to gain experienced, professional status will be likely to sustain a livelihood. In order to do this, active support by trade associations, developing good reputation to obtaining constant referrals is vital and will only apply to those who have genuinely invested in and can prove they have served the necessary qualified training time.
Tiling Revival!
The news early in 2010 that consumer confidence was returning to the tiling industry was obviously, very much welcomed. The UK trading performance of a major tiling supplier had continued on an upward trend, seeing like-for-like revenues increase by 5.5%, with sales up 3.9%.
This is also good news for the construction industry as a whole, and for all those either looking to start a new career, or experienced tradesmen wishing extend their service skills by training to tile.
Interior tiled spaces are now enjoying widespread popularity after earlier decades of emulsion painted walls. In fact, the recent history of the tile shows an ever upward rise not seen since the Victorian era!
After the Second World War, tilemaking resumed only slowly, with mechanised production helping to cut costs. In the 1950s, the design emphasis was on geometric patterns, but some figurative designs were still made. During the 1950s-1970s, tiles were popular as an exterior facing material for public buildings.
By the 1980s, tiles were undergoing a revival and at the turn of the millennium, tiles - colourful, individual, stylish and fashionable - had become almost as popular as they were a century ago. They are again being used to decorate homes and establish company identities, with a vast range of designs available in many differing techniques.
Such is the enormous upsurge in tiling interiors, that tiling courses are heavily subscribed to by DIY enthusiasts, especially on weekend courses . For all those seriously interested to enter the construction trade industry, a complete City & Guilds NVQ Tiling course is ideal for an assured professional career start. Meanwhile, professional tradesman report increased demand for trained and qualified tilers throughout the country on many of the latest commercial newbuild projects.
Tiling For Gold!
Olympics 2012 edges ever nearer and TV News reports almost daily on construction progress. And the news is that there is still a need for more skilled, trained and qualified workmen to help complete the huge task in time for the opening ceremony!
Latest estimates reveal that there are more than 9,000 people working on the construction of the Olympic Park and the Olympic Village. According to the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) some 20 per cent of the construction workforce are from the five host boroughs - Newham, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest or Greenwich.
Significant progress has been made but the commitment to ensure employment and training opportunities for people living around the Olympic Park is predicted to be a challenge in the year ahead. Expectations are that 2010 will be the toughest year yet to achieve build completion target dates.
The call will inevitably go out for more trained and qualified tilers, electricians, plumbers and plasterers. When it comes to training to be a tiler, there are a number of very straightforward and easy course options for DIY weekenders to fulltime on a short 5 day intensive block diploma to 3,4, or 6 week NVQ Tiling certification.
Learning to tile like a professional can be an easy learning curve if you’ve already undertaken domestic tiling projects in the kitchen or bathroom and found you have a real knack – and can lay up tiles quickly and accurately! Tiling is a trade skill that can be taken up and learnt with relative speed, which is what you will need once you’re gained your qualification and start work down at the Olympic Village!
